I can' recall the last time I've seen this reference applied to a modern event so aptly. Bravo.

This can probably be said for many of our favorite development houses. Most of Blizzard North (of Diablo II fame of course) moved on to other projects and companies not long after the expansion was finished if I remember correctly.

The same guy who was executive producer for the last 1% of Mass Effect that sucked was also executive producer for the prior 99% that rocked. You can't just talk about his effect on the ending without his effect on everything that came beforehand. Also, Neverwinter Nights and KOTOR both rocked.

I can' recall the last time I've seen this reference applied to a modern event so aptly. Bravo.

This can probably be said for many of our favorite development houses. Most of Blizzard North (of Diablo II fame of course) moved on to other projects and companies not long after the expansion was finished if I remember correctly.

True, but this is the first time I've personally seen the Ship of Theseus used as a metaphor for dev houses without any original members.

I still think that trilogy was shit up because the original writer, Drew Karpyshn, left after ME2. Hence subtle clues about dark energy destroying stars all but disappeared and the reapers going from machines beyond mortal comprehension... to sky net that turns people into immortal goo because they ultimately would end up offing themselves anyhow.

The same guy who was executive producer for the last 1% of Mass Effect that sucked was also executive producer for the prior 99% that rocked. You can't just talk about his effect on the ending without his effect on everything that came beforehand. Also, Neverwinter Nights and KOTOR both rocked.

He - presumably, I'm open to being corrected - didn't come up with the other 99% by locking himself in a room with one other dude and ramming the results through production without accepting input from anyone else involved.

I still think that trilogy was shit up because the original writer, Drew Karpyshn, left after ME2. Hence subtle clues about dark energy destroying stars all but disappeared and the reapers going from machines beyond mortal comprehension... to sky net that turns people into immortal goo because they ultimately would end up offing themselves anyhow.

Except the vast majority of ME3 was well-written and fit into the established ME universe and storyline without problem. Could it have been better with Karpyshn running it? Maybe so; we can't know that.

It was the hard left turn at Albuquerque straight into Crazy Town, population: pants! that was so offensive - and it's also the only part I'm aware of that was all but single-handedly written by Hudson.

I still think that trilogy was shit up because the original writer, Drew Karpyshn, left after ME2. Hence subtle clues about dark energy destroying stars all but disappeared and the reapers going from machines beyond mortal comprehension... to sky net that turns people into immortal goo because they ultimately would end up offing themselves anyhow.

I still think that trilogy was shit up because the original writer, Drew Karpyshn, left after ME2. Hence subtle clues about dark energy destroying stars all but disappeared and the reapers going from machines beyond mortal comprehension... to sky net that turns people into immortal goo because they ultimately would end up offing themselves anyhow.

I think it makes sense in one aspect: Mass Effect (and previous BioWare games) has always liked to play with questions of moral ambiguity. The geth are a classic example. They seem like stereotypical "bad guys" at the start of ME1, but by the time you've found out about all the details of the Geth v Quarian war, it's hard to pick out if either side is "good" or "bad," just inevitably in conflict. Same with the Salarians and Krogans. Both sides, from their own perspective, are doing "the right thing."

Adding some moral ambiguity to the reapers instead of having them truly be mustache-twirling evil-for-the-sake-of-evil villains is just the next step in this progression of moral ambiguity.

I still think that trilogy was shit up because the original writer, Drew Karpyshn, left after ME2. Hence subtle clues about dark energy destroying stars all but disappeared and the reapers going from machines beyond mortal comprehension... to sky net that turns people into immortal goo because they ultimately would end up offing themselves anyhow.

Except the vast majority of ME3 was well-written and fit into the established ME universe and storyline without problem. Could it have been better with Karpyshn running it? Maybe so; we can't know that.

It was the hard left turn at Albuquerque straight into Crazy Town, population: pants! that was so offensive - and it's also the only part I'm aware of that was all but single-handedly written by Hudson.

Me3 was well written, but the overall tone changes. The first two had a good bit of imaginative, intelligently written science fiction alluding to a possible motivation of the villan... which was explicitly stated to be something the reader (gamer) is not meant to fully understand (why stars are aging rapidly). It was a clue to the possible motivation that reapers preserve life because mass effect fields destabilize stars, and could be a galactic wide extinction level event for organic life...

In ME3, they are dumbed down to a Rogue AI who digitized organics. Pretty much the exact opposite of what Sovereign made them out to be.

One of the best video game villas just got so dumbed down in 3... it was a let down. There was clearly more plot line that Drew had in mind that was lost in the change over.

Another one bites the dust. EA, killing your favorite developers for over 20 years!

You do realise that people are actually allowed to look for a change of employment for their own reasons. Heck, I need a change of scenery every two to three years otherwise I get bored and the prospect of working the same job for sixteen years is horrifying.

I still think that trilogy was shit up because the original writer, Drew Karpyshn, left after ME2. Hence subtle clues about dark energy destroying stars all but disappeared and the reapers going from machines beyond mortal comprehension... to sky net that turns people into immortal goo because they ultimately would end up offing themselves anyhow.

This 100%.

I think 3 had an impossible task. First two games had the mystery about what your choices could possibly mean for the future. It seemed so interesting.

3 had the job of taking your mind back down to earth and telling you the fantasy in your head can't happen.

I'm a huge Mass Effect fan, and the first game pretty much changed my entire perspective on modern RPGs (just as KOTOR did in the previous generation). I love the series, even with some of the regettable losses of RPG options in the sequels and ME3's ending. I'm sorry to see Hudson go, but I look forward to see what he'll do next.

I'm a huge Mass Effect fan, and the first game pretty much changed my entire perspective on modern RPGs (just as KOTOR did in the previous generation). I love the series, even with some of the regettable losses of RPG options in the sequels and ME3's ending. I'm sorry to see Hudson go, but I look forward to see what he'll do next.

I hear that haha! He is a great producer...

Here is to hoping he teams up with Drew and follows Chris Roberts footsteps and gives us some kick ass independant games in the future... free from the bottom line focused EA stranglehold. Get back to your roots!

Another one bites the dust. EA, killing your favorite developers for over 20 years!

You do realise that people are actually allowed to look for a change of employment for their own reasons. Heck, I need a change of scenery every two to three years otherwise I get bored and the prospect of working the same job for sixteen years is horrifying.

If I had a job at the top of a company like Bioware the only reason I would leave is "creative differences". Having the chance to turn my visions for a game into reality would be a dream job I would keep until I rid myself of my mortal coil.

The doctors left 2 years ago as well as some other long time Bioware members. Its not just him leaving that triggered my comment.

I can' recall the last time I've seen this reference applied to a modern event so aptly. Bravo.

This can probably be said for many of our favorite development houses. Most of Blizzard North (of Diablo II fame of course) moved on to other projects and companies not long after the expansion was finished if I remember correctly.

True, but this is the first time I've personally seen the Ship of Theseus used as a metaphor for dev houses without any original members.

I'm full of philosophy when it comes to video games. "Can your oxen ford the same river twice?"One of these days I'll publish my manifesto on how the princess being in another castle is Miyamoto using the story of Sisyphus to examine gender norms.

I still think that trilogy was shit up because the original writer, Drew Karpyshn, left after ME2. Hence subtle clues about dark energy destroying stars all but disappeared and the reapers going from machines beyond mortal comprehension... to sky net that turns people into immortal goo because they ultimately would end up offing themselves anyhow.

I think it makes sense in one aspect: Mass Effect (and previous BioWare games) has always liked to play with questions of moral ambiguity. The geth are a classic example. They seem like stereotypical "bad guys" at the start of ME1, but by the time you've found out about all the details of the Geth v Quarian war, it's hard to pick out if either side is "good" or "bad," just inevitably in conflict. Same with the Salarians and Krogans. Both sides, from their own perspective, are doing "the right thing."

Adding some moral ambiguity to the reapers instead of having them truly be mustache-twirling evil-for-the-sake-of-evil villains is just the next step in this progression of moral ambiguity.

Except the Reapers were never evil. At least not in my perception. They were just machines that had found a sustainable and preferable way to continue living. They did't feel emotions. That was what made it so scary. You couldn't reason with it, or plead mercy, or beg for your measily existence. It was almost as inevitable as heat death. That, to me, was fucking terrifying.

And, as you wrote, everything else about the game was really fleshed out and almost impossible to choose who the "bad guy" was. The Reapers weren't about that. There were no morals to it. I loved the contrast.

Another one bites the dust. EA, killing your favorite developers for over 20 years!

You do realise that people are actually allowed to look for a change of employment for their own reasons. Heck, I need a change of scenery every two to three years otherwise I get bored and the prospect of working the same job for sixteen years is horrifying.

If I had a job at the top of a company like Bioware the only reason I would leave is "creative differences". Having the chance to turn my visions for a game into reality would be a dream job I would keep until I rid myself of my mortal coil.

There are very good reasons for wanting to stop work at a gigantic company after 20 years. For one people have generally more than one interest and after you've made more than enough money and worked for a very long time on one interest, it's really not that surprising that you may want to pursue another one.

Second, there's a gigantic difference between working for a large company such as Bioware and a smaller one - both have advantages and disadvantages but there are definitely reasons for why you'd prefer the later.

Another one bites the dust. EA, killing your favorite developers for over 20 years!

You do realise that people are actually allowed to look for a change of employment for their own reasons. Heck, I need a change of scenery every two to three years otherwise I get bored and the prospect of working the same job for sixteen years is horrifying.

If I had a job at the top of a company like Bioware the only reason I would leave is "creative differences". Having the chance to turn my visions for a game into reality would be a dream job I would keep until I rid myself of my mortal coil.

There are very good reasons for wanting to stop work at a gigantic company after 20 years. For one people have generally more than one interest and after you've made more than enough money and worked for a very long time on one interest, it's really not that surprising that you may want to pursue another one.

Second, there's a gigantic difference between working for a large company such as Bioware and a smaller one - both have advantages and disadvantages but there are definitely reasons for why you'd prefer the later.

I think this is why more old guard game developers like Hudson and Rob Pardo will continue to leave their post-buyout conglomeratized companies in favor of Kickstarter or startup type endeavors. More creative freedom which for some is more valuable/attractive than the larger funding (but more oversight price tag) that an EA can provide

I still think that trilogy was shit up because the original writer, Drew Karpyshn, left after ME2. Hence subtle clues about dark energy destroying stars all but disappeared and the reapers going from machines beyond mortal comprehension... to sky net that turns people into immortal goo because they ultimately would end up offing themselves anyhow.

I think it makes sense in one aspect: Mass Effect (and previous BioWare games) has always liked to play with questions of moral ambiguity. The geth are a classic example. They seem like stereotypical "bad guys" at the start of ME1, but by the time you've found out about all the details of the Geth v Quarian war, it's hard to pick out if either side is "good" or "bad," just inevitably in conflict. Same with the Salarians and Krogans. Both sides, from their own perspective, are doing "the right thing."

Adding some moral ambiguity to the reapers instead of having them truly be mustache-twirling evil-for-the-sake-of-evil villains is just the next step in this progression of moral ambiguity.

You're completely right that the Reapers are more compelling if they aren't just Snidely Whiplash, but are either ambiguously moral or strictly amoral.

But that could easily have been accomplished without the shit sundae we were served as dessert for an otherwise magnificent meal. The idea that the Reapers show up to wipe out all civilizations which use the mass effect because the mass effect destabilizes reality itself does it nicely. It puts them hard to one side of the ends-means spectrum, but that's not at all the same as being a moustachioed cartoon villain.

Conveniently, it also sets up a very Bioware-style choice to conclude the game: let the Reapers do their job, sacrificing current civilization in the name of preserving all future civilizations; destroy the Reapers and count on the Quarians to figure out a solution; agree to a cease-fire with the Reapers contingent on immediate cessation of mass effect usage in return for not being wiped out.

I can't see any way this ending isn't better than a literal deus ex machine and some claptrap about how biological and synthetic life always end up at war...so to fix it, some synthetic life will show up to kill everyone, because this is why we can't have nice things.

NWN, while it had an excellent map editor, was the beginning of the decline for BioWare. If this guy started his career there with NWN then I hope he doesn't join any other development shops that I still like.

You're completely right that the Reapers are more compelling if they aren't just Snidely Whiplash, but are either ambiguously moral or strictly amoral.

But that could easily have been accomplished without the shit sundae we were served as dessert for an otherwise magnificent meal. The idea that the Reapers show up to wipe out all civilizations which use the mass effect because the mass effect destabilizes reality itself does it nicely. It puts them hard to one side of the ends-means spectrum, but that's not at all the same as being a moustachioed cartoon villain.

Conveniently, it also sets up a very Bioware-style choice to conclude the game: let the Reapers do their job, sacrificing current civilization in the name of preserving all future civilizations; destroy the Reapers and count on the Quarians to figure out a solution; agree to a cease-fire with the Reapers contingent on immediate cessation of mass effect usage in return for not being wiped out.

I can't see any way this ending isn't better than a literal deus ex machine and some claptrap about how biological and synthetic life always end up at war...so to fix it, some synthetic life will show up to kill everyone, because this is why we can't have nice things.

If the reapers' motivation was to preserve the universe because the mass relays are draining the universe's energy, why wouldn't they just (1) destroy the relays, or (2) build fortifications around them to make them impenetrable?

I agree that the inevitable war between synthetics and biotics didn't make sense, in part because nothing about the game made it seem inevitable up to that point (the geth/quarian war was the only allusion at all)...butI did like that they tried to make the reapers sympathetic in a sense.